After my last sojourn with a non-foaming cleanser, my interest was piqued when I received the Pai Skincare Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser. Oh hello! Here was yet another non foaming cleanser! I was quite quick to dive into this the minute I pumped out the last bits of the last one 😀

Pai Skincare is a brand of organic skincare that hails from the UK and is specially formulated for sensitive skin. Well, actually, what it is, is a brand that even those with sensitive skin can use, not just meant for sensitive skin, if that made sense? Pai is certified organic by the Soil Association, which is the certifying body in the UK and which, I’m told is very strict. One of the strictest around so when they give the seal of approval, you can be sure that you’re getting something truly organic.

My samples of Pai Skincare came courtesy of Pure Tincture, a Singapore based online store that specialises in organic skincare. They do ship to Malaysia for a very affordable flat rate of S$10 and yes, they carry Pai Skincare – one of the closest and quickest places for us to get it, unless you want to get it shipped in from the UK.

The Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser is a lovely creamy cleanser that you can use on its own or even to remove makeup so if you’re feeling a wee bit lazy to double cleanse then this may suffice. But only for a cheat day, mind! 😉

The cleanser has a rather thick, creamy texture that spreads easily between your palms and on the skin. It comes packaged with a muslin cloth (I love brands that do!) because that’s how you’re supposed to use. it.

The directions call for you to pump 2-3 pumps of product into your palm, massage into your skin and then remove with a warm muslin cloth (wet through and then wrung dry of course). I found the muslin cloth felt a wee bit rough, so I prefer using my face towels instead. Yes, I’m still using my face towel routine for evening, aren’t you? 😉

The texture is a luxurious thickish cream that has a nice slip, so it isn’t terribly thick or hard to work with. You can use this as a makeup remover and Pai says, even as eye makeup remover. That’s how gentle it is. I tried it as a face makeup remover (I don’t like using these sorts of textures around my eyes as it tends to mess with my vision. So I always use a separate eye makeup remover and here’s why I think it’s a good idea).

Removal is very easy. You can use a face cloth or the provided muslin cloth or even just rinse it off with a bit of massaging. I was using this cleanser as part of my evening routine for a few days, but because I already have cleansing balms to use up I switched up to using it in the morning.

I found that I like using gentle face cleansers in the morning because it doesn’t feel like I need that much cleansing when I wake up. It started with the Antipodes Juliet cleanser and then the Blissoma Rice Cleanser and so this one was a natural progression. But I wasn’t up to messing about with muslin cloths in the morning, so I didn’t.

I also use less product, so I’d work with just 1 pump of product which I massage into my skin. The gentle rose scent which is there, but isn’t overpowering, is a nice wakeup call in the morning and the gentle and quick massage of the product into my skin wakes me up. Then, I wet my skin with water, massage a little more, which emulsifies the product somewhat. And then I rinse it away.

If you have never used a non-foaming cleanser, it takes a while to get used to how your skin feels after that. It never feels squeaky clean if you don’t use a cloth to wipe it off, and it does feel like you have a hydrating layer on your skin which isn’t heavy nor uncomfortable, but it doesn’t feel “clean” in the way that we are conditioned to think. I’m used to it by now, so I was happy with it. If you use a cloth, it feels cleaner, but your skin doesn’t feel stripped or dry.

All in all, I like this cleanser a lot, whether for day or for the evening. It is gentle, hydrating and comfortable and that’s nice to have in a cleanser 🙂

IN A NUTSHELL

The Pai Skincare Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser is a creamy cleanser that can also act as a makeup remover or as a first step of cleansing in the evening. It is easy to spread and doesn’t feel heavy nor sticky on skin and is easy to remove with either a muslin cloth or face cloth or just by rinsing with water a few times. I like how comfortable it makes my skin feel and the gentle floral scent is comforting as well. All in all, not one I’d complain about at all!

Have you tried this cleanser? Do you use cream cleansers?

I used to be a great fan of foaming cleansers (still a secret fan of them as bad as they are made out to be!) but because my skin now feels drier than before, I now find myself using cleansers that don’t foam as much, or sometimes, don’t foam up at all. Cream cleansers fill this void although I haven’t tried many myself so I’m always in the market for more new ones! 😀

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About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

I have dry skin, so foaming cleaners are usually too drying for me. The least drying foaming cleanser I have used was the SKII one, but it was still a tad drying with everyday use. Many others just left me with a tight feeling. I have been using this Ultrafine Soothing Cleanser from a Singapore brand (NIKS) for many years (at least 5!), and it is still my to-go cleanser now. It’s creamy, non-foaming, and has a smooth texture.

For the past year, I have been using only a toner to cleanse my face in the mornings and then makeup remover/ cleanser (no, I don’t do double-cleansing as it is simply too drying for me) in the evenings. This routine seems to work on my dry skin so far.

Yes, I noticed that about foaming cleansers as my skin got drier. Suddenly, foaming cleansers made my skin feel stretched and stripped! I do still use one or two but in the mornings, I find it more comfortable using a non-foaming cleanser. There aren’t many out there though 🙁 Good to know you’ve found a routine that works for you – sometimes, as much as we’d like to follow conventional skincare methods, not everything works for everyone so what’s most important is to work with YOUR skin and I’m glad you have 🙂

I looove this one so much! I always have a bottle around because it’s something I know I can always fall back on. I think this is the cleanser that made me give up on most foaming stuff (I still use it in the morning but that’s about it), and strange as it may sound, I don’t think I’ve found another milk/cream that rivals it.

Wow, that’s a great testimonial Sunny! I found that it was nice to use both with a wash cloth for better cleansing or even without, which is good because I don’t always want to use a wash cloth in the mornings. Leaves my skin feeling so comfortable!

Currently I am lemming to try Pai skincare. Your review came in a timely manner 🙂 Madness at work has heightened. I am using different shower gel to differentiate day and night, work and home. I think my cleanser will follow suit. This sounds like a great cleanser as I have oily but dry skin (still confused up till today what the BAs tell me) and sensitive skin as well. Glad it worked out well for you 🙂

Pai Skincare is actually quite good. I tried some samples a few years ago but didn’t appreciate them then. Now, I appreciate them better and they are very nice and importantly, very gentle. I think they’re worth trying out. I believe that Pure Tincture sells a Pai Skincare sample set if you’d like to test them out before hand. But I can safely say the cleanser is absolutely worth getting and for you, maybe to use in the evening. It’s nice and calming that way 🙂

I recently used something like this and am pleasantly surprised that i like it so much that i bought the full sized. I’m talking about Neal’s Yard’s Rejuvenating Frankincense Refining Cleanser. Think I might be a convert for such cleanser.

Oh yeah, one of the better cleansers out there. I used up my 200ml one, but decided to try others. Found some sites that ship internationally for free, and I can definitely see myself repurchasing it 🙂

Ooh which sites do you use for Pai Skincare? I was thinking of trying Naturisimo but I hadn’t tried shipping anything to me yet. Got it shipped to Singapore and it was quite quick though I was told that local shipments do take a little longer.